Apparatus for treating semisolids and liquids



March 19, 1929. E. E. LINDSEY 1,705,822

APPARATUS FOR TREATING SEMI-SOLIDS AND LIQUIDS Filed NOV. 14, 1927 1NV ENTOR.

BY 4 c md 46l r 19%;? ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. '19, 1929.

- UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST E. LINDSEY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING SEMISOLIDS AND LIQUIDS.

Application filed November 14, 1927. Serial No. 232,959.

This invention relates to apparatus for Corr verting various mixtures, especially semisolid mixtures of food ingredients,yinto a gelatinized form, and to. condensing liquids such as milk.

In bakery operations it. is advantageous to mix certain ingredients ot. tood, such, tor

example, as are usedin bread-making, and to sub ect them to a prelim nary cooking or heating, in order to bring about gelatiniza- This requires'that the ingredients be vide an improved apparatus for condensing;

milk and the like.

One form which my invention may assume is exemplified 1n the followmg descrlption and illustrated in the accompanying draw-v ing, in which spigot which connects with a discharge pipe Fig. 1 shows a vertical, central, sectional view of the gelatin.izer;.

Fig. 2 shows a horizontal sectional view on theline II-II of Fig. 1.

The device as here shown comprises a tank 10, into which the materials to be mixed are introduced. This tank is open at its top, and has a conical bottom termlnat ng in a 11 and a branch pipe 12, the latter leading to a pump 13; A valve 1 1-v 'controls the con nection through the pipes 11 and 12, whereby the material may be directed to the pump for circulation or may be drawn off'from the tank for packing and storing.

In the pump 13 there is a pipe 15, leading to the top of the tank and terminating within the tank, preferably in the form of a ring 16 open at its lower side. 16 is a conical spreader 17, onto. which the material falls and is spread out so as to enter the tank 'in a thin sheet. This spreader 17 is preferably supported rotatably on a pipe 18, which is connected with a suitable source of air under pressure. Beneath the spreader 17 is a baffle ordeflect or 19, which is preferably supported on a rod 20 fixed within the pipe 18. This rod 20 may serve Beneath the ring.

as a bearing for a spider 20 which supports the spreader 17. This spreader 17 maybe provided with inclined vanes 21 on 1ts 1n-' terior, so arranged that when air v passes thereover the baffle 1s caused to rotate.

A heated gaseous fluid such as steam or,

hot air is admitted into the circulating system through a pipe 22. r

In the operation of the device, the various ingredients entering into the mixture are so that "when the pump is operated the mixture withdrawn from the bottom of the tank and returned to the top thereof through thering 16. At the same'time, steam is admitted through the pipe 22 to raise the temperature of the mixture. Circulations and admission of steam continue until the mixture reaches the desired temperature of approximately 200 Fahrenheit, whereupon it assumes a gelatinized form. Then theadmission of steam is cut off, andclean, cold air is admit-ted through the pipe 18 while the mixture is still being circulated.

The air or steam will be deflected out at the bottom over the bafile 19 and strike the mixture in a thin film or sheet.

The air emerging between baffle 19 and spreader 17 will come in contact with the vanes 21 and impart a turning movement to the spreader 17 thereby throwing the material from ring 16 outwardly in a thin sheet, exposing it advantageously to the action of the air. I Should it be desired to use this apparatus for condensing milk, the milk is circulated through the tank by pump 13, and hot air is admitted through pipe 18, so as to act on the milk, in the manner above described. ,In this way the mixture can be quickly placedin the tank '10 and the valve 14 is set. v

heated or cooled to the desired temperature.-

Various changes in the construction and arrangement of the several parts may be employed without departing from the spirit of my invention, as disclosed in the appended claims.

7 Having thus described my invention, what said tank, means for spreading material out in a thin sheetwhere it enters the tank, and

means for directing a heated gaseous fluid into the material while it isspread out.

' means for imparting a turning motion to said spreading means.

3. An apparatus for treating liquids and semi-solids, comprisin a tank, a pump hav ing connections with the top and bottom of the tank for withdrawing the material from the bottom and returning it to the tank at the top thereof, a ring-shaped pipe open at its lower side, through which the material is discharged at thetop of the tank, a conical spreader beneath the said ringshaped pipe, and a supply pipe for a heated gaseous fluid connecting with the interior of the conical spreader.

4. An apparatus for treating liquids and semi-solids, comprising a tank, a pump having connections with thetop and bottom of the tank for withdrawing the material fr 1n the bottom and returning it to the tank at the top thereof, a ring-shaped pipe openiat its lower side, through which the material is discharged at the top of the tank, a conical spreader beneath the said ring-shaped pipe, a supply pipe for a heated gaseous fluid connecting with the interior of the conical spreader, and abaffle beneath the spreader for directingthe gaseous fluid outwardly at the bottom of the spreader.

5. An apparatus for gelatinizing mixtures, comprising a tank, means forcirculating the mixture through the tank, connections for admitting steam thereto during circulation, and means for admitting cold air to the circuit to cool the mixture after the same has been gelatinized.

ERNEST E. LINDSEY. 

